Chapter 49 - Different Than Others

Talia found her first experience of shopping for clothes overwhelming.

Dresses, tops, shorts, pants, skirts, shoes, hats, boots, jackets, cardigans. Everything looked good and she didn't dare make any requests.

Bryn took Talia's measurements and determined the right size for her undergarments, so Talia only needed to pick style and color from the catalog that Isi brought. Talia picked a conservative style in light tan color, and Isi slipped into the pile white, black, and blue undergarments of the same type.

Bryn was expertly removing clothes from Talia and putting new ones on, and Isi would go out to get the right size or color when needed.

When Isi came out of the dressing room the second time, she changed the sign on the door to 'Closed' and locked the door, so that new customers don't come. The two of them were committed to serving Talia, convinced that would please Damon.

"This green dress goes great with your hair!", Isi exclaimed.

"This silvery top is cute and makes your eyes sparkle.", Bryn chimed in.

They were praising everything and after the fifth outfit, Talia tuned them out.

Damon used his Alpha hearing to listen to their every word and he tried to imagine how those clothes fit Talia.

Was she smiling while looking at herself in the mirror?

"You should really try this camisole, it will show off your legs...", Isi said.

"That's not necessary. I know how my legs look like.", Talia responded stiffly and Damon facepalmed.

Silly girl. That would be for him to see her legs.

Was she trying on that camisole? Damon swallowed hard.

He really wanted to see her.

Bryn sighed loudly. "This v-neck shows your perfect skin and just the right amount of cleavage."

"It would look better with this push-up bra.", Isi chimed in.

"No need.", Talia refused to put it on.

From the outside, Damon agreed. There is no need for a push-up bra. Talia is perfect as-is and if she wears such a bra, she will attract lecherous gazes. No one should look at her other than him. 

After some time…

Talia lifted her hands, preventing Bryn from putting another top on her. "Uhm… I think this is enough."

Isi and Bryn frowned in disapproval.

"You still need to try these.", Isi gestured to the latest pile that she brought into the dressing room.

"We are here for a while and Alpha Damon is busy. I don't want to risk him being late for something important because of this.", Talia said.

Isi and Bryn exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. They got carried away thinking that if they please Talia, it will put them in good books with their Alpha. Damon doesn't shop often, and this was his first time in their boutique. But they didn't consider that this might interfere with his schedule which might make him angry.

"Alright.", Bryn said and gestured to the neatly stacked clothes. "These all fit you well. Which one do you want?"

Talia took a few seconds to visually inspect the choices. She picked one dress, one top, and one jeans, and then she reached for a pair of white tennis shoes.

Talia was not into skirts or high-heeled shoes, and with what she picked, she thought that she got a bit of everything.

"I will take this."

Bryn's displeasure was obvious. "Only those? What about a jacket and some accessories?"

Talia looked at the pile of clothes and shoes longingly. "Everything you showed me is wonderful, but I don't have money. When I repay Alpha Damon and earn more, I will come back and get something else."

Damon was shocked by Talia's words. She wants to repay him for the clothes? Didn't he tell her that she doesn't need to pay for anything? But then, this was Talia and she always acts in unexpected ways.

The more Damon found out about Talia, the more he realized how she is different than any other woman he met.

Bryn and Isi were flabbergasted. How can Talia talk so openly about not having money? And what was that thing about repaying Alpha Damon? This is his pack, and technically this store belonged to him also. He is providing the whole pack with benefits and usually no one in the Darkbourne charges Alpha Damon for goods and services.

'It seems she is just a refugee. Maybe just passing by.', Isi said through the mind-link to Bryn.

Bryn agreed. 'Yeah. Why did I think that Alpha would look at such a scrawny girl? It's obvious that he is doing this out of pity.'

In the next moment, Isi and Bryn found it difficult to breathe.

'I asked you to help her pick clothes, not to gossip.', Damon's icy voice sounded in Bryn's and Isi's head and the two of them visibly paled.

"Do you think that this is too much?", Talia asked two saleswomen. She saw their expressions change but she was not sure about the cause. "Maybe I should get only the dress then…"

'Pack everything that fits her. You have two minutes!', Damon said to Isi and Bryn through the mind-link. 'If I hear any rumors about this, I know where to find you.'

Talia watched as Bryn and Isi scrambled through the dressing room. They filled their hands with clothes and shoes and dashed out without telling Talia what's going on.

One moment Isi and Bryn were forcing clothes on her with smiles on their faces, then they asked her to pick with stern expressions, and then they just left frantically.

Talia was not sure what to think of this.

Maybe everyone in this pack is moody like Alpha Damon.

…

When they were close to the packhouse, Damon mind-linked Maya and Caden, 'Where is Cassie?'

'She is in the living room. Waiting for you.', Maya responded.

'Keep Cassie busy. We will be there in a minute. Don't let Cassie see Talia.'

Damon didn't want to hide Talia, but if Cassie sees her, it will cause more drama and it might upset Talia more. Cassie is a loose cannon.

Damon got out of the car and helped Talia out, but this time he didn't let go of her hand. He almost ran up the stairs and Talia had difficulty keeping up with him.

He halted his steps when they reached the third floor and looked at Talia who was catching her breath.

"If this gets you winded, you should exercise more.", he said flatly.

Talia looked at him dejectedly. "No amount of exercise will help me keep up with you." With your speed or with your mood.

Damon smirked. "We will see about it. We start after Travis says that you healed."

Talia's lips twitched as she felt a calamity approaching. Did he say 'WE start'? What was that about WE?

Damon glanced toward the stairs, wondering if Cassie will be brazen enough to come after them. She should know that the third floor is off-limits, but Cassie is known to be the one who ignores the rules.

He opened the door of Talia's room and practically pushed her in.

"I have something urgent to handle. Get in and take a rest. Someone will get your clothes up."

And just like that, he closed the door and left.

Talia stared at the closed door with a frown, but a second later she shook her head and went to bed.

This whole experience was mentally exhausting, and she didn't want to do it again.

One good thing was that it seems she was done dealing with Alpha Damon for today.

…

Damon instructed Maya and Stephanie through the mind-link to help take bags from the trunk to Talia's room.

"You are difficult to see.", Cassie said to Damon as she approached him when he descended the stairs to the main level.

"I am busy.", Damon responded curtly and headed out.

Damon nearly blew a fuse in the boutique when he heard how Isi and Bryn spoke about Talia and he needed to steam out, so he went to the training grounds.

Cassie stood in the hallway and pouted. Sure, Alpha Damon is always busy, but normally she could see him over meals and in the evening, yet now he seems to be impossible to catch. And she still didn't get a chance to find out what happened in the Red Moon pack.

Her plan was to get him to bed and make him talk when his guard is down, but he didn't seem interested in carnal activities. What gives?

Cassie's eyebrows shot up with curiosity when she saw Maya and Stephanie, both with hands full of bags that were clearly from a boutique in Darkbroune. Cassie was here many times, so she is familiar with the town and shops.

She glanced through the main door and saw that those came from the trunk of Damon's car.

"Did Alpha Damon return from shopping?", Cassie asked Maya.

Maya smirked. "What do you think?"

Cassie's expression darkened. Didn't he say that he was busy? And he went shopping?

Cassie craned her neck to see what's in the bags, but other than one piece of white fabric with lace on the edge, she didn't see much.

Cassie pursed her lips while wondering… Lace? Since when is Alpha Damon buying garments with lace?

That was obviously for a woman!

Cassie frowned while looking up, just enough to see that Stephanie and Maya went all the way up to the third floor.

Did he buy presents for someone?

But there are no guests other than Cassie, and it doesn't make sense that Damon would buy clothes for Stephanie or for Maya.

Cassie's face exploded into a smile when she concluded that those clothes must be for her.

Yes, it made sense. Alpha Damon was avoiding her and pretending to be busy, while secretly he went to buy clothes for her, and he will give them to her as part of some surprise.

Is he planning for a romantic dinner? Who knows, maybe he asks her to be his Luna?

Cassie told herself not to spoil the surprise. She will pretend that she didn't see anything and when the time comes, she will show him her best-amazed expression.

Cassie hummed a tune and went to her room with a spring in her step.

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